‘Deadliest Catch’ Star Nick McGlashan Dead at 33

Deadliest Catch star Nick McGlashan has died at age 33, TMZ reports. McGlashan, a seventh generation fisherman who appeared in 78 episodes of the Discovery show from 2013-2020, died on Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee. His cause of death has not yet been determined.

McGlashan came from a long line of crabbers, including his namesake, a great uncle who was a crew member on the the F/V Deep Sea, the first boat in the U.S. crab industry built in 1947. McGlashan’s roots in the business also include two aunts who were crabbers. At age 13, McGlashan began crabbing on the Bering Sea, according to his Discovery bio. He began his career the F/V Westling and went on to work with Deadliest Catch star Captain Bill, heading the crew on both the Cape Caution and the Summer Bay. 

While on Deadliest Catch, McGlashan was remebered for “witty quips, working through the pain, and not stopping the job until it’s done.” While he was described by Captain Bill as “the epitome of a true crabber,” McGlashan also battled addiction issues for years. The crabber was kicked off the boat in Season 13 for his dependence on drugs and alcohol and later sent to rehab.

After his rehab stint, McGlashan dedicated his life to staying sober and helping others battle their addictions, too. In an Anchorage Daily News story from 2017, McGlashan said his addiction robbed him of his dream job. “All I ever wanted to do was be a fisherman, and I lost that,” he told the paper. “I lost the ability to work at sea because I forgot how to live on land.” At the time, Captain Bill told the outlet that McGlashan was “obsessed with being sober.”

McGlashan’s sister confirmed the news of his death on Twitter last night per PopCulture.com, telling her followers, “My brother nick passed away. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through. Please hold your loved ones tight.”

Where to watch Deadliest Catch